280:), and Esther's daughter, Sarah Blumenfeld (Sydney Barrosse), have become successful professional women, but each still deals with the memories of the Holocaust via strained relationships with their respective mothers. Esther dies but has left a memoir of her experiences in the camp with her daughter, Sarah. Apollonia (
284:) is confined to a nursing home and, though Maria tries her best to care or her, she and her mother are at constant odds. A secret that Apollonia has been hiding comes to light, and the uncovering of this secret causes Apollonia and Maria to resolve their differences and brings Maria and Sarah into each other's lives.
526:
and reflecting the memories of wartime Poland, it was filmed with an
American cast and set in a contemporary American city. It was offered that the film had a compelling plot line, but its strength was in how it dealt with the relationships of its female characters. They summarize, "A bond between
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wrote "Forgiveness is like a complex jigsaw puzzle or murder mystery in which apparently disconnected pieces fall into place only gradually. For those looking for a movie dominated by strong, independent women, this is the one to see."
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and West
Hollywood International Film Festival, Kotowski re-edited the film to feature a more central emphasis on the film's Holocaust story. The film was then re-titled
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and re-released, having its premiere at the New Hope Film
Festival on June 26, 2010, and screenings at festivals such as River Bend Film Festival in
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The film's story is told through a series of narratives from a fictional memoir of the period, illustrated with archival footage provided by the
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273:. When the war ended, both girls separately emigrated to the United States with their families. They remained separated thereafter.
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child Esther
Blumenfeld, were childhood best friends in 1940's Poland. The two girls were separated when Esther was taken away to a
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on DVD in
September 2010; the film is currently being sold direct via Bright Shining City Productions' official website.
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contrasted the film against others at the Polish Film
Festival by noting that, even though directed and written by a
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in August 2007, with the director having to deal with seasonal rains and the illness of one of the lead actresses.
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on April 26, 2008. After screening at film festivals through 2008 and 2009, including the
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two adult, self-confident women has rarely been portrayed as effectively."
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Best
Narrative Feature - Great Lakes International Film Festival (2010)
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Relix Award - Glen Rose Neo-Relix Film
Festival (2010)
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Years later, Apollonia's daughter, Maria
Patterson (
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at 2008 West Hollywood International Film Festival"
689:"Polish drama explores Jewish-Catholic relations".
246:. The film is marked as being the director's first
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963:"LA's Polish Film Festival reveals Jewish themes"
309:Jamie Goodwin as Jeff Patterson, Maria's husband
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877:WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival
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1029:Films about the aftermath of the Holocaust
933:"May 2010 Deadline Award of Merit Winners"
716:West Hollywood International Film Festival
38:
29:
752:. newhopefilmfestival.com. Archived from
718:. westhollywood.bside.com. Archived from
312:Wilbur Penn as Clayton, Maria's co-worker
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659:"Kotowski seeks 'Forgiveness' in Austin"
786:. riverbendfilmfest.org. Archived from
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493:The Indie Fest - Award of Merit (2010)
409:The film premiered at the Ninth Annual
367:, additional archive material from the
818:Bayou City Inspirational Film Festival
1034:American films based on actual events
820:. bayoucity.bside.com. Archived from
780:at the 2010 River Bend Film Festival"
7:
873:"WorldFest Winners' Lists 1979-2010"
696:. jewishjournal.com. April 24, 2008.
468:Silver Remi Award - WorldFest (2009)
1074:Films about Polish-American culture
306:Sydney Barrosse as Sarah Blumenfeld
939:. theindiefest.com. Archived from
909:. empixxawards.org. Archived from
657:O'Connell, Joe (August 10, 2007).
462:Inspirational Film Festival (2008)
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336:Kathryn Olsen as Young Apollonia
937:The Indie virtual film festival
879:. worldfest.org. Archived from
634:. polanegri.com. Archived from
471:EMPixx Awards - Platinum (2009)
435:Bright Shining City Productions
357:Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum
318:Christina Childress as Jennifer
262:child Apollonia Kowalski and a
153:Bright Shining City Productions
490:EMPixx Award - Platinum (2010)
333:Krystal Morton as Young Esther
315:Dell Aldrich as Esther (voice)
1:
1059:2000s English-language films
1054:Films about Jews and Judaism
496:Telly Awards - Bronze (2010)
465:Telly Awards - Silver (2008)
971:. jpost.com. April 30, 2008
903:"2009 Empixx Award Winners"
369:Jewish Historical Institute
339:Steve Uzzell as Dean Denson
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847:"29th Annual Telly Awards"
746:at New Hope Film festival"
321:Jon Davis as Roger (voice)
18:Esther's Diary (film)
458:Third Place Jury Award -
419:Los Angeles Film Festival
371:, and photographs of the
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784:River Bend Film Festival
397:was shot on location in
230:written and directed by
167:April 26, 2008
537:List of Holocaust films
415:Los Angeles, California
1044:Films set in the 2000s
1039:Films set in the 1940s
750:New Hope Film festival
592:"Mariusz Kotowski bio"
330:Sean Elliot as Matthew
667:. austinchronicle.com
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327:Chris Doubeck as Paul
303:as Apollonia Kowalski
140:Federico Chavez-Blanc
1069:2000s American films
1064:American drama films
597:Polish Film Festival
569:Polish Film Festival
411:Polish Film Festival
324:Greg Dorchak as Pete
295:Shelley Calene-Black
278:Shelley Calene-Black
103:Shelley Calene-Black
1049:Films set in Poland
883:on 25 February 2007
433:production company
427:South Bend, Indiana
248:feature-length film
600:. polishfilmla.org
572:. polishfilmla.org
431:Mariusz Kotowski's
373:concentration camp
297:as Maria Patterson
271:concentration camp
27:2008 American film
853:. tellyawards.com
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16:(Redirected from
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851:Telly Awards
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183:Running time
160:Release date
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1004:Forgiveness
812:Forgiveness
710:Forgiveness
562:Forgiveness
452:Forgiveness
429:. Director
395:Forgiveness
211:Forgiveness
113:Wilbur Penn
81:Produced by
53:Directed by
33:Forgiveness
1024:2008 films
1018:Categories
546:References
460:Bayou City
384:short film
351:Background
244:Allan Knee
240:screenplay
187:84 minutes
171:2008-04-26
146:Production
67:Allan Knee
632:Polanegri
624:"review,
524:filmmaker
501:Reception
437:released
375:ruins by
238:, with a
234:director
129:Edited by
531:See also
361:Oświęcim
225:dramatic
222:American
200:Language
137:Music by
91:Starring
73:Story by
975:18 July
947:18 July
917:18 July
887:18 July
857:18 July
828:18 July
794:18 July
760:18 July
726:18 July
671:18 July
642:18 July
604:18 July
576:18 July
405:Release
203:English
192:Country
169: (
148:company
521:Polish
445:Awards
381:French
365:Poland
264:Jewish
1009:IMDb
977:2010
949:2010
919:2010
889:2010
859:2010
830:2010
796:2010
762:2010
728:2010
673:2010
644:2010
606:2010
578:2010
268:Nazi
254:Plot
1007:at
476:As
450:As
413:of
242:by
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